Reverse-stop for vehicles



C. P. CIRAC.

REVERSE STOP FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, I918.

1,388,404, Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

W mil 0c 11% oz;

6 GPGW/m.

Games 2. cr me, or am rmcxsco, cuiroanu.

mvnasE-s'ror ron. vmncms.

' Specification oi Letters Patent. Patent d A 3, 1921 Application illed'llarch 28, 1918. Serial Io. 224,788.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES P. Gimme, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident a to means for operatin of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have made a new and useful invention-to wit, a Reverse-Stop for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the follow-ing to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

The invention relates particularl to means for preventing the accidental backing movement of vehicles, particularly automobiles.

Among the ob'ects of the invention are to arrest any backward movement of automobiles on inclines, independent of the braking mechanism of the automobile in the event of the failure of the motive power, the brakes, or the failure of the operator to make use of them in stopping the backward movement of the vehicle.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to' be understood that the invention is not 1imited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description it is desired to cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied. I

This'present invention relates particularly is. reverse stop mechan1sm such as covered y Letters Patent, No. 1,237,169, issued August 14, 1917, to me, wherein the stop ratchets are located in the wheel assemblies of the vehicle, while in the present instance the stop mechanism is located on the propeller shaft mechanism' geared to the driving wheels. In the accompanying one sheetof draw 1n Y igure 1 is a plan view of a reverse stop mechanism constructed and applied, in accordance with this invention, to the driving gear of an automobile as diagrammatically illustrated.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end view from the rear of the stop mechanism partially in cross section taken on the line III-III, Fig. 1.

Figs. 4., 5 and 6 are diagrammatic w'ews,

artly in cross section viewed from above illustrating the progressive operation of the sto mechanism.

IE1 detail the construction illustrated in ,the drawings includes the propeller shaft 1 of the vehicle, mounted in a suitable bear- Ingcontained in the neck 2 of the difierential case 3 wherein the motive power is transmitted from the propeller shaftto the drive axis, thence to the wheels. The yokes 4-4 have the split collars 5-5 encircling the neck 2 of the differential case to which the are fixedly clamped b the bolts 6-6. he locking device inc udes a circular locklng plate 10 fixed on the shaft 1 with the key 11 or in any other suitable manner. The circular base plate 12 is stationary and fixed to the yokes 4-4:. The inclosing oiltight casing 13 is flanged and fixed to the base plate 12 to inclose the revolving mechanism to exclude dirt and retain oil. This inclosing casing is provided with a gland 14 surrounding the shaft 1 and forming an oil tight stufiing box therewith to prevent the escape of 011 .at this point.. Arranged between thebase plate 12 and the locking plate 10 1s a circular control plate 16 rotatably mounted on a reduced portion 15 of the base plate. The control plate 16 is frictionally held in engagement with the locking plate 10 through the action of suitable resilient members 12' interposed between the control plate and the base plate 12 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 The control plate may, however, be forcibly moved relatively to 'the said locking plate.

At quadrantially arranged points, or oftener, the base plate 12 is provided on its lnnerface with recesses 17 in which the locking dogs 18 are pivoted. These dogs are provided in the recesses at analogous dogs, which are preferably beveled as shown in Fig. 4, outwardly beyond the inner face of the base plate. The control plate 16 is provided with the openings 21 extending therethrough, which openings correspond in position, number and arrangement with the recesses 17 in the base plate. The locking plate 10 also is provided on its inner face with recesses 22 into which the outer ends of the locking dogs 18 project, as indicated in Fig. 6, when these recesses 22, openings 21, and recesses 17 are in registration. The control plate at a point adjacent its periphery, is provided with at least one pin 23 which projects into one of the arcuate slots The automatic 0 tion of the device may be briefly describe as followsz'The automobile having come to a sto from a forward movement the positiono the arts of the device will be that indicated in 1g. 4. Now, should the brake accidentally become released, or: should the machine start backward from any cause, the locking plate 10 in turning rearwardly to the left, w1ll carry with it the control plate 16, by reason'of the frictional engagement between these plates, and this movement will continue until the pin 23 on the control. late will have reached the terminal of. the s ot-24, Fig. 5. At this point the openings 21 .of the control plate 16 will have alined with the recesses 17, and the dogs 18 will have moved outwardly under the action of their springs into engagement with the inner surface of the locking plate 10. The parts will then be in the position indicated in Fig. 5. A further rearward rotation of the rear wheel carrying with it the locking plate 10 will bring the recesses 22 into alinement with the o nings 17 and 21 (see Fig. 6) and will a1 ow the dogs 18 to engage in the recesses 22 and thus effectually arrest any further rearward movement of the wheel. When the vehlcle starts forward under the impulse of the motor, the control plate 16, through the ac tion of the frictional engagement with the locking plate 10 will move forwardly until the pin 23 reaches the forward end of the slot 24. This action of the plate will serve to withdraw the do 18 from the recesses 22 in the locking p ate, and the solid portions of the control plate 16 will have moved substantially over the recesses 17 and, hence, the dog 18 will be retained out of the recesses 22 of the plate 10, and this will allow rotation of the locking travels forwardly without the continual running over of the do 18; thus the device will be noiseless. The digs will thus be held by the control. plate within the recesses 17 until the control plate is again moved rearwardly to bring the openings 21 into alinement with the openings 17.

In order that the control plate may be operated from the drivers seat, to control unrestricted rearward motion of the vehicle when the same is desired, I have provided an arrangement which operates automatically when the gear shift lever is thrown into the reverse position, to hold the control plate in such position, Fig. 4, that the locklng dogs 18 will remain out of engagement with the locking plate. This control mechae nism includes the gear shift lever 25 (see Fig. 2) pivoted at 26. This lever forms part of 'whatis known in the art as selective gear transmissions, in which the lever 25 is movable laterally as well as pivotally, and in others oscillates on a ball and socket joint plate as the vehicleand swings in a circle to make the various ar selections in the transmission. They ave a common result in'that the end 27 of I the lever in some manner eventually engages during the selection the reverse control rod 28 at the will of the o orator. 'Ihe shift 'lever 25 is shown (in lgs. 1, 2 and 3) in neutral position, with the various locking mechanisms in their correlative positions 1ndicated in Fig. 4 as when the vehicle is being driven forward.

Theextension stud 29 is fixed in the end vof the reverse gear rod 28 and provided with a loop end 30, with a slot thereinengaging the stud 31 in the'lever 32 which xed on the ivot rod 33, ivoted in the brackets 34 fixe to the cross race 35 forming. part of the main frame ofthe automobi c. On the end of the rod 33 is the lever 32' which is pivoted at 36 to the connecting link 37, the opposite end of which is pivoted at 38 to the camplate 39 including a narrow portion 44 and a broad pm-tion. 46. This cam plate is slidable longitudinally in the guides 40-40.fixed on the plate 41 w ich in. turn is fixed to one of the yokes 4. The shift bar 42 is rovided in ts outer end with a slot slidab y fitting the cam plate 39.

This bar is slidable in the strap guides 43-43 fixed to the plate 12, and its opposite end is provided with a slot 45 surrounding the pin 23 and of a size to accommodate an tion of the arrows :0 (Figs. 1, 3, and 4) to move the left hand end of the slot 45 into enga ement with the pin 23 (and for moving t e pin, if necessary, from the position .shown in Figs. 5 and 6) for maintaining the parts in the relation illustrated in Fig. 4. So ong as the shift lever 25 is inclined backward in the reverse position, the vehicle is permitted to be backed under its own power without. interference from the locking mechanism. If with the lever 25 vertical or in the neutral position shown in Fig. 2, it is desired to move the vehicle forward under its own power, this lever 25 is pushed forward to enga e the first speed of the gear train, or any of t e other selective ratios of the transmission mechanism. During the movement of the lever 25 in a direction opposite to the arrow R, Fig. 2, from the reverse position to neutral position, the forward end of the loop 30 engages the pin 31 shifting the lever 32' rearwardly in a direction opposite to the arrow 3 whereb the cam plate 39 is moved through the s ot in the ar 42 to assume the positionshown in Fig. 1 with the narrow portion 44 of the cam lplate extend ng in the slot of the bar 42. tension spring 47 has one end secured to the end 46 of the bar 42 and its opposite end fixed to a stationary part of the device, such as at 47 and is arranged so as to normally urge the bar 42.

in a direction op osite to the arrow w, in Figs. 1 and 4. herefore, with the cam plate 39 in position shown in Fig. 1 the bar 42 assumes the position clearly shown in Fig. 3 and in full lines of Fig. 4. This releases the pin 23 from control of the plate 42; and therefore, with the various parts in this normal relation, any accidental backward movement of the plate 12 incidental to the backing of the vehicle would cause it to frictionally back up the plate 16, throwing the parts into the relation indicated in Fig. 6, and stopping further backward movement of the vehicle. Except when locked in the reverse position, as indicated in dotted lines of Fig. 4, the plate 16 is under frictional control of and moves with the plate 10 and is, therefore, set at all times to lock the backward movement of the car when the gear shift lever is in any of the several forward speeds and is, therefore, wholly automatic in its operation, being manually controlled only in the reverse selection and being then automatic in its action of being thrown out of operation.

The portions 44 are sufliciently long so that the lost motion between the chassis and the body of the vehicle can be taken up by the movement of the cam plate within the slot in the bar 42 without altering the correlation of the parts of the lock. From the normal position of the cam plate, the bar 42 moves laterally in the direction of the arrows 00 as it rides up the incline of 39 of the cam plate in assuming the relations shown in dotted lines of Fig. 4.

- Having thus described my invention, whatI claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A reverse stop for vehicles including a fixed member, a movable member, stop members interposed between said members; and control means controlling said stop members including a slidable bar; a cam plate engaging said bar and means for actuating said cam plate.

2. A reverse stop for vehicles including a fixed member, a movable member, stop members interposed between said members; and contact means controlling said stop members and including a slidable bar; a cam plate engaging said bar; a pivoted lever linked to said cam plate; and loop means engaging said lever with a prescribed lost motion.

3. In combination with a motor vehicle, a fixed base member, a locking member fixed upon a rotating shaft of the transmission of said vehicle; stop members. interposed between said members; and control means controlling said sto slidable on said ase member and engagin said locking-members with a predetermine lost motion; and means for actuating said bar'synchronously with the movement of the reverse gear control of said vehicle transmission.

4. In combination with a motor vehicle a fixed base member, a locking member fixed upon a rotating shaft of the transmission of said vehicle; stop members interposed between said members; and control means controlling said sto members including a bar slidable on said ase member and engagin said locking members with a predetermine lost motion; a cam plate slidably engaging said bar; a pivoted lever linked to said cam plate; and loop means engaging said lever with a prescribed lost mot1on.

5. In combination with a motor vehicle, a movable member fixed on the propeller shaft of said vehicle; a base member fixed to an immovable part of said vehicle adjacent to said movable member; locking members interposed between said lockin and base members; and means for manual y operatingsaid locking members to arrest backward movement of said vehicle.

6. In combination with a motor vehicle, a locking member fixed on the propeller shaft of said vehicle; a base member fixed to an immovable part of said vehicle adjacent to said locking member; dogs pivoted in one of said members adapted to engage in recesses in the opposite said member; a control plate interposed between said members having recesses therein adapted to register with said dogs; means for automatically moving said recesses into registry with said dogs when said vehicle moves backward; and means for locking said recesses out of said registry when the reverse gear of said vehicle is in operation.

7. In combination with a motor vehicle a locking member fixed on the propeller shaft of said vehicle; a base member fixed to an immovable part of said vehicle adjacent to said locking member; dogs pivoted in one of said members adapted to engage recesses in the opposite said member; a control plate members including a bar immovable part of said vehicle adjacent to interposed between said members having recesses therein adapted to-register with said dogs; acam plate slidabl guided on said immovable part of said ve icle; a bar'having a sliding engagement with said cam plate and engaging said control late with a predetermined lost motion; a ever pivoted on the frame of said vehlcle; a lmk beconnection with a predetermined lost motion with the reverse gear shift of said vehicle transmission. 7 v

9. In combination with a motorvehicle,

a locking member fixed on. the ropeller I shaft of said vehicle; a base mem er fixed to an immovable part of said vehicle adjacent to said locking member; dogs pivoted .in bne of said members adapted to engage recesses in the opposlte sald member; a control, plate interposed between said members "having recesses therein adapted to register 80 ing a sliding engagement with said cam uided on said nousl; with the s ifting of the reverse gear of said vehicle transmission.

' 10. In combination with a motor vehicle, a locking member fixed to the pro eller shaft of said vehicle, a base member fixed to an immovable part of said vehicle adjacent to said locking member; dogs pivoted in one of said members adapted to engage recesses in the opposite saidmember; a control plate interposed between said members having retween said leverand said cam plate; and a\. cesses therein adapted to register with said do s, and a pin thereon protruding throu h a s ot in said base member acam plate slidably uided on said immovable part ofsaid vehic e; a. bar having a sliding engagement with said-cam plate and a slot 1n which-said pin en ges; a lever ivoted on' the frame of sai vehicle; a lin between said lever and said cam plate; and a connection with a predetermined, lost motion with the reverse gear shift of said vehicle transmission. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 13th day of March, 1918. a I CHARLES P. CIRAG, In presence of- BALDWIN VALE, A. J. HENRY. 

